# 1985–86 Swiss 1. Liga

The 1985–86 Swiss 1. Liga was the 54th season of this league since its creation in 1931. At this time, the 1. Liga was the third tier of the Swiss football league system and it was the highest level of amateur football.

## Format

There were 56 clubs in the 1. Liga, divided into four regional groups, each with 14 teams. Within each group, the teams would play a double round-robin to decide their league position. Two points were awarded for a win. The four group winners and the four runners-up then contested a play-off round to decide the three promotion slots. The two last placed teams in each group were directly relegated to the 2. Liga (fourth tier). The four third-last placed teams would compete a play-out against the ninth relegation spot.

## Group 1
### Teams

| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Echallens | Vaud | Sportplatz 3 Sapins | 2,000 |
| FC Fribourg | Fribourg | Stade Universitaire | 9,000 |
| Grand-Lancy FC | Geneva | Stade de Marignac | 1,500 |
| FC Leytron | Valais | Stade Saint-Martin | 1,000 |
| ES FC Malley | Vaud | Centre Sportif de la Tuilière | 1,500 |
| FC Monthey | Valais | Stade Philippe Pottier | 1,800 |
| FC Montreux-Sports | Vaud | Stade de Chailly | 1,000 |
| FC Saint-Jean GE | Geneva | Centre sportif de Varembé | 3,000 |
| FC Savièse | Valais | Stade St-Germain | 2,000 |
| FC Stade Lausanne | Vaud | Centre sportif de Vidy | 1,000 |
| FC Stade Nyonnais | Vaud | Stade de Colovray | 7,200 |
| FC Stade Payerne | Vaud | Stade Municipal | 1,100 |
| FC Vernier | Geneva | Stade municipal de Vernier | 1,000 |
| Yverdon-Sport FC | Vaud | Stade Municipal | 6,600 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | ES FC Malley | 26 | 17 | 4 | 5 | 79 | 39 | +40 | 38 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | FC Fribourg | 26 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 54 | 23 | +31 | 36 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 3 | Grand-Lancy FC | 26 | 12 | 7 | 7 | 61 | 55 | +6 | 31 | |
| 4 | Yverdon-Sport FC | 26 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 52 | 49 | +3 | 31 | |
| 5 | FC Montreux-Sports | 26 | 10 | 8 | 8 | 53 | 46 | +7 | 28 | |
| 6 | FC Monthey | 26 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 46 | 43 | +3 | 27 | |
| 7 | FC Savièse | 26 | 8 | 10 | 8 | 35 | 36 | −1 | 26 | |
| 8 | FC Saint-Jean GE | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 50 | 50 | 0 | 25 | |
| 9 | FC Stade Lausanne | 26 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 46 | 50 | −4 | 24 | |
| 10 | FC Leytron | 26 | 10 | 4 | 12 | 37 | 56 | −19 | 24 | |
| 11 | FC Echallens | 26 | 7 | 8 | 11 | 37 | 39 | −2 | 22 | |
| 12 | FC Vernier | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 42 | 46 | −4 | 22 | Play-out against relegation |
| 13 | FC Stade Payerne | 26 | 6 | 7 | 13 | 37 | 63 | −26 | 19 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |
| 14 | FC Stade Nyonnais | 26 | 4 | 3 | 19 | 27 | 61 | −34 | 11 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |

## Group 2
### Teams

| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Bern | Bern | Stadion Neufeld | 14,000 |
| SC Burgdorf | canton of Bern | Stadion Neumatt | 3,850 |
| FC Concordia Basel | Basel-City | Stadion Rankhof | 7,000 |
| FC Breitenbach | Solothurn | Grien | 2,000 |
| SC Bümpliz 78 | Bern | Bodenweid | 4,000 |
| FC Colombier | Neuchâtel | Stade des Chézards | 2,500 |
| SR Delémont | Jura | La Blancherie | 5,263 |
| FC Köniz | Bern | Sportplatz Liebefeld-Hessgut | 2,600 |
| FC Langenthal | Bern | Rankmatte | 2,000 |
| FC Lengnau | Bern | Moos Lengnau BE | 3,900 |
| FC Nordstern Basel | Basel-Stadt | Rankhof | 7,600 |
| BSC Old Boys | Basel-Stadt | Stadion Schützenmatte | 8,000 |
| FC Solothurn | Solothurn | Stadion FC Solothurn | 6,750 |
| FC Thun | Bern | Stadion Lachen | 10,350 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | FC Bern | 26 | 16 | 6 | 4 | 44 | 16 | +28 | 38 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | FC Lengnau | 26 | 11 | 9 | 6 | 47 | 38 | +9 | 31 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 3 | FC Colombier | 26 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 45 | 36 | +9 | 30 | |
| 4 | BSC Old Boys | 26 | 11 | 5 | 10 | 46 | 39 | +7 | 27 | |
| 5 | SC Burgdorf | 26 | 8 | 11 | 7 | 30 | 36 | −6 | 27 | |
| 6 | FC Breitenbach | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 38 | 37 | +1 | 25 | |
| 7 | FC Köniz | 26 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 43 | 45 | −2 | 25 | |
| 8 | FC Thun | 26 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 39 | 40 | −1 | 24 | |
| 9 | FC Solothurn | 26 | 6 | 12 | 8 | 28 | 34 | −6 | 24 | |
| 10 | SR Delémont | 26 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 38 | 48 | −10 | 24 | |
| 11 | FC Nordstern Basel | 26 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 44 | 43 | +1 | 23 | |
| 12 | FC Langenthal | 26 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 41 | 42 | −1 | 23 | Decider for twelfth place |
| 13 | FC Concordia Basel | 26 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 39 | 55 | −16 | 23 | Decider for twelfth place |
| 14 | SC Bümpliz 78 | 26 | 7 | 6 | 13 | 36 | 49 | −13 | 20 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |

### Decider for twelfth place

The decider was played on 27 May at La Blancherie in Delémont.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Langenthal | 4–1 | FC Concordia Basel |
FC Langenthal win and continue in play-outs. FC Concordia Basel are relegated directly to 2. Liga Interregional.

## Group 3
### Teams

| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Altdorf | Uri | Gemeindesportplatz | 4,000 |
| FC Ascona | Ticino | Stadio Comunale Ascona | 1,400 |
| SC Buochs | Nidwalden | Stadion Seefeld | 5,000 |
| FC Emmenbrücke | Lucerne | Stadion Gersag | 8,700 |
| FC Ibach | Schwyz | Gerbihof | 3,300 |
| FC Klus-Balsthal | Solothurn | Sportplatz Moos | 4,000 |
| SC Kriens | Lucerne | Stadion Kleinfeld | 5,100 |
| FC Olten | Solothurn | Sportanlagen Kleinholz | 8,000 |
| FC Tresa/Monteggio | Ticino | Cornaredo Stadium | 6,330 |
| FC Mendrisio | Ticino | Centro Sportivo Comunale | 4,000 |
| FC Muri | Aargau | Stadion Brühl | 2,350 |
| SC Reiden | Lucerne | Kleinfeld | 1,000 |
| FC Suhr | Aargau | Hofstattmatten | 2,000 |
| FC Sursee | Lucerne | Stadion Schlottermilch | 3,500 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | SC Kriens | 26 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 68 | 36 | +32 | 37 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | FC Olten | 26 | 16 | 5 | 5 | 57 | 31 | +26 | 37 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 3 | FC Mendrisio | 26 | 13 | 9 | 4 | 48 | 23 | +25 | 35 | |
| 4 | SC Buochs | 26 | 12 | 8 | 6 | 43 | 35 | +8 | 32 | |
| 5 | FC Sursee | 26 | 10 | 10 | 6 | 48 | 36 | +12 | 30 | |
| 6 | FC Ibach | 26 | 9 | 7 | 10 | 41 | 48 | −7 | 25 | |
| 7 | FC Ascona | 26 | 7 | 10 | 9 | 26 | 34 | −8 | 24 | |
| 8 | FC Suhr | 26 | 8 | 8 | 10 | 30 | 43 | −13 | 24 | |
| 9 | FC Emmenbrücke | 26 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 48 | 44 | +4 | 23 | |
| 10 | FC Klus-Balsthal | 26 | 6 | 11 | 9 | 33 | 40 | −7 | 23 | |
| 11 | FC Altdorf (Uri) | 26 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 41 | 49 | −8 | 23 | |
| 12 | FC Muri | 26 | 7 | 9 | 10 | 36 | 52 | −16 | 23 | Play-out against relegation |
| 13 | SC Reiden | 26 | 3 | 9 | 14 | 28 | 48 | −20 | 15 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |
| 14 | FC Tresa/Monteggio | 26 | 2 | 9 | 15 | 25 | 53 | −28 | 13 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |

## Group 4
### Teams

| Club | Canton | Stadium | Capacity |
| FC Altstätten (St. Gallen) | St. Gallen | Grüntal Altstätten | 1,000 |
| FC Balzers | Liechtenstein | Sportplatz Rheinau | 2,000 |
| SC Brühl | St. Gallen | Paul-Grüninger-Stadion | 4,200 |
| FC Brüttisellen | Zürich | Lindenbuck | 1,000 |
| FC Dübendorf | Zürich | Zelgli | 1,500 |
| FC Einsiedeln | Schwyz | Rappenmöösli | 1,300 |
| FC Frauenfeld | Thurgau | Kleine Allmend | 6,370 |
| FC Gossau | St. Gallen | Sportanlage Buechenwald | 3,500 |
| FC Küsnacht | Zürich | Sportanlage Heslibach | 2,300 |
| FC Red Star Zürich | Zürich | Allmend Brunau | 2,000 |
| FC Rorschach | Schwyz | Sportplatz Kellen | 1,000 |
| FC Rüti | Zürich | Schützenwiese | 1,200 |
| FC Stäfa | Zürich | Sportanlage Frohberg | 1,500 |
| FC Vaduz | Liechtenstein | Rheinpark Stadion | 7,584 |

### Final league table

| Pos | Team | Pld | W | D | L | GF | GA | GD | Pts | Qualification or relegation |
| 1 | FC Einsiedeln | 26 | 14 | 8 | 4 | 52 | 30 | +22 | 36 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 2 | FC Red Star Zürich | 26 | 14 | 7 | 5 | 54 | 23 | +31 | 35 | Play-off to Nationalliga B |
| 3 | FC Rorschach | 26 | 13 | 6 | 7 | 44 | 32 | +12 | 32 | |
| 4 | FC Vaduz | 26 | 11 | 6 | 9 | 46 | 38 | +8 | 28 | |
| 5 | FC Gossau | 26 | 9 | 9 | 8 | 40 | 37 | +3 | 27 | |
| 6 | FC Stäfa | 26 | 9 | 8 | 9 | 36 | 34 | +2 | 26 | |
| 7 | FC Rüti | 26 | 8 | 9 | 9 | 33 | 33 | 0 | 25 | |
| 8 | FC Dübendorf | 26 | 8 | 7 | 11 | 38 | 39 | −1 | 23 | |
| 9 | FC Brüttisellen | 26 | 10 | 3 | 13 | 38 | 49 | −11 | 23 | |
| 10 | FC Küsnacht | 26 | 9 | 5 | 12 | 35 | 49 | −14 | 23 | |
| 11 | FC Altstätten (St. Gallen) | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 36 | 48 | −12 | 22 | |
| 12 | FC Frauenfeld | 26 | 8 | 6 | 12 | 35 | 51 | −16 | 22 | Play-out against relegation |
| 13 | FC Balzers | 26 | 8 | 5 | 13 | 39 | 47 | −8 | 21 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |
| 14 | SC Brühl | 26 | 7 | 7 | 12 | 31 | 47 | −16 | 21 | Relegation to 2. Liga Interregional |

## Promotion play-off
### Qualification round

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| SC Kriens | 0–0 | FC Red Star Zürich |
| FC Red Star Zürich | 1–1 | SC Kriens |
SC Kriens win on away goals and continue to the finals.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Lengnau | 3–3 | ES FC Malley |
| ES FC Malley | 4–1 | FC Lengnau |
ES FC Malley win 7–4 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Fribourg | 0–1 | FC Einsiedeln |
| FC Einsiedeln | 0–2 | FC Fribourg |
FC Fribourg win 2–1 on aggregate and continue to the finals.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Bern | 0–3 | FC Olten |
| FC Olten | 7–0 | FC Bern |
FC Olten win 10–0 on aggregate and continue to the finals.

### Final round

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Olten | 3–0 | SC Kriens |
| SC Kriens | 1–1 | FC Olten |
FC Olten win 4–1 on aggregate and are promoted to 1986–87 Nationalliga B.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Fribourg | 1–0 | ES FC Malley |
| ES FC Malley | 2–0 | FC Fribourg |
ES FC Malley win 2–1 on aggregate and are promoted to 1986–87 Nationalliga B.

### Decider for third place

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Fribourg | 2–1 | SC Kriens |
| SC Kriens | 3–1 | FC Fribourg |
SC Kriens win 4–3 on aggregate and are promoted to 1986–87 Nationalliga B. FC Fribourg remain in the division.

### Final for championship

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Olten | 4–3 | ES FC Malley |
FC Olten win and are declaied 1. Liga champions.

## Relegation play-out

The four third-last placed teams from each group, competed a play-out against the ninth and last relegation spot.

### First round

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Langenthal | 0–0 a.e.t. 4–2 pen. | FC Vernier |
FC Vernier continue to the final round.
| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Muri | 2–1 | FC Frauenfeld |
FC Frauenfeld continue to the final round.

### Final round

| Team 1 | Score | Team 2 |
| FC Frauenfeld | 0–1 | FC Vernier |
| FC Vernier | 4–0 | FC Frauenfeld |
FC Vernier win 5–0 on aggregate. FC Frauenfeld are relegated as ninth and final team to the 2. Liga.

## Further in Swiss football

* 1985–86 Nationalliga A
* 1985–86 Nationalliga B
* 1985–86 Swiss Cup